Stay in the loop

Toronto is blessed with a ravine system that is (or should be) the envy of most major North American cities. It is impossible to imagine this city without its ravines, which have offered an escape from the urban landscape from the beginning of settlement here.

Crothers Woods somehow remains under the radar despite being one of the most beautiful places in the city. Gone are the rusted oil drums and abandoned cars, but it still feels like a forgotten wilderness in the heart of the city here. It's a paradise for hikers and mountain bikers alike.

Moore Park Ravine stretches from Mount Pleasant Cemetery to the Don Valley Brick Works, following the route of what's now known as Mud Creek. The tree canopy is spectacular, and a southeast trip down the valley is probably one of the most pleasant bike rides in the city.

Flanked by fancy homes, Cedarvale Ravine combines wide open parkland with rugged wilderness at its edges. Once slated to be a casualty of the Spadina Expressway, the green space remains a haven for joggers, dog walkers, and anyone looking for a temporary return to nature.

Located fantatistically close to the beach, Glen Stewart Ravine is a walker's paradise. The extensive wooden foot path and stairs eliminate the need for any hard hiking, allowing visitors to focus their attention on the lush vegetation and mature maple and red oak trees.

Rouge Park features just about every type of parkland there is, from wetlands to beach to the steep ravine walls near Glen Rouge overnight campground. At the far east end of the city, nothing matches the Rouge for its unspoiled nature and exploration opportunities.

Like the Don, the Humber Ravine system has many affiliated parks, which feature gorgeous areas along the river that remind one of just how wide and deep this waterway once was. If you know what you're doing, you can follow the Humber north and south across the whole city.

A magical place just that's remarkably close to the tall buildings of Yonge and St. Clair, this ravine is the quintessential urban green space where you might run into an abandoned shopping cart, a raccoon, and lovely mist rising off the ravine bed in the early morning.